Life-preserver.



J. W. LIPPINCOTT.

LIFE PRESERVER. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20. 19l 6.

1,292,197. latented Oct. 24,1916.

' To all whom it may concern;

" which the following is a specification".

5 one toapply this support before or after clamps,

" jects by the means illustrated in the accom- I matic tubes (or compartments) on the ront,

UNITED STATES PATENT curios.

JOHN W. LIPPINCOTT, OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CARRIE A. LIPPINCOTT, OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS.

LIFE-PRESERVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

1,202,197. Patented Oct. 24,1916.

Application filed March 20, 1916. Serial No; 85,515.

said pneumatic tubes at a, etc., by the wearer Be it known that I, JOHN W. Lrrrmco'rr, blowing the breath through said tubes and a citizen of the United States, residing at valves in the direction indicated by the .ar- Little Rock, in the county of Pulaski and ows. The stems z 2?, etc.,,iv'hi'ch constitute State of Arkansas, have invented a new and the 'lower .or open ends of the pneumatic useful Improvement in Life-Preservers, of tubes a a, etc., are purposely left open, so that normally the tubes at a, etc., are in a My invention relates to improvements in pneumatic life preservers, and consists of means of clamps J pneumatic, tubes (orcompartments) constring R Fig. 7 tigh nected in series (or multiples) with means .bending the stems of inflating and deflatingeach series sepaparts .intorings or loops K, as shown in rately, and the objects of my improvements Figs.- 1 and 2 and in detail in Fig. 6, when are first to provide a substantial and reliable the pneumatic tubes (1 a support for a person while in the water, flated, and when it is desired to deflate the second to provide an easy method for anyv tubes it is only .necessary to remove the I strings, or rings. Adjustable shoulgetting into the water, and third to allow der straps L and L, adjustable thigh straps the person so supported perfect freedom and M,. ancl an adjustable belt. N are to of arms and legs, and I attain all these obhold the body supports in position when only one series of tubes is used, but if two tly around each, or.- by

panying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical front view of asinon the back, an adjustable crotch strap 0 gle series of pneumatic tubes (or compartshould be used instead of the thigh straps. ments) connected in multiple by inflating P an adjustable head strap and Q an adjustable neck strap'mre to'liold the head support in position. worn under the clothing the belt maybe means as it would appear on a person. Fig. 2 1s a -vert1cal slde view of a series of neuanother series on the back, and another on the head, and each series connected sepabelt is used however, then either the crotch rately but in multiple by inflating means as or thigh straps would be desirablebut not a throughout the several views.

- Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail view of a valve. 35

- which extends a mouth stem or tube Ethe necessity. The tendency of this life preserver will be to creep upward on a body; henceit is necessary to hold it in position, Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are detail views showing and if worn on the outside of skirts or a various means of closing openends of tubes. long coat it is obvious that a belt would have Similar letters refer to similar parts to be used.

' I A very valuable'feature of my invention The pneumatic tubes at a, etc., are tapered is that several series of these pneumatic tubes at each end to smaller tubes or stems b b, uiay be used on the front of a'person, or on etc., at the top ends and i i, etc., at the the back, or the entire body may be surlower ends. .The stems b 6', etc., are prorounded with them, but each series should vided with valves 0 0', etc., and said st ms consist of several of thesepneumatic tubes 6 b, etc., being connected by and throu h (or compartments) and be connected in mulsaidvalves 0 0, etc., to a header D from tip'le by the inflating means so that each sories will be independently inflatable; hence end of which terminates in a mouth piece the wearer will'notibe entirelydependent on which is sup lied with a valve G, and said any particular series for sufiicmnt buoyancy stem E is hel d :by aholder H in a position to keep afloat, and as'each tube 1s valved to convenient to the mouth of the wearer. The bold inflation independently of each other it function of the stem E carrying the valve is obvious that each tube is independently G, and the header D is to connect the mouth deflatable, and therefore if one or more tubes of the wearer through the valves 0 0", etc., of any particular ser es should leak the in the stems b b, etc.,with the pneumatic other tubes of th1s series could still be ntubes a 0', etc., and permit theinfl'ation of fiated by-plnchmg the stem bof the leaking they would appear on a person. Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the 'line l1 of deflated condition, but may be closed by Fig.5, or by tying a and slipping the bentetc., may be inare used, 2'. a. one on the front and another I If the life preserver is desirable, but it is not a necessity. -If the?.'

lot

tube tight enough to close it. and if the header 1) or the mouth stem 1) should leak said leak could in all probability be seen or felt and that particular series could still be irritated by pinching with the lingers directly over the split or perforation, or it the header 1) or mouth stem E was entirely destroyed the tubes (4 0, etc., of that particular series could still be inflated by blowing directly into the stems (1. etc., which carry the valves c c, etc.- While the body supports are to be mainly depended upon I consider the head support of great value should the wearer desire to tloat or swim on the back. Accessibility, convenience. and comtortare worthy of consideration also in this life preser er. By making them of suitable matc rial one or more series may be carried in a mans pocket or a womans hand bag in a deflated condition as it would only take a few seconds to put them on and a tew putls of breath into the mouth stem to get sutlicient buoyancy to keep afloat, or one or more st ries may be worn constantly under the clothing, or on the head either inllated or detlated as they are easily intlatable at'ter getting into the water. Still another feature of this life pres-error l. utility in that it will be a great help in learning to swim, as a beginner will not be so much afraid of going under the water when equipped with one and will not have to waste any energy in keeping afloat but an concentrate the mind on learning correct swimming strokes and utilize available energy to propelling. (iood swimmers as well as very ordinary swimmers when equipped with this life preserver will be greatly benetitcd also for the reason that no energy will be required to keep afloat and all their energy can be devoted to propelling which will enable them to swim much taster than when not so equipped.

Having thus tlt'rfillltetl mv invention what I claim and desire protected by Letters Patcut is:

1. The combination in a lite prescrrer of body and head supports, each composed of a series of tubes. a separate intlating means for each series connected in multiple with the tubes thereof.

2. The con'ibination in a life preserver of body and head supports, each composed of a series of tubes and a separate inflating means for each series connected in multiple with the tubes thereof, and said tubes being separately detlatable.

J01 IN \V. Ll PPINCOTT. "itlnesses: 

